3 Simple Ways to Increase Memory Power

There are a huge number of ways to increase memory power within your brain, but the following are 3 methods that you can apply straight away to get the memory abilities you want.

As always, bear in mind that these varied tips and methods can form the basis of a very strong memory, but you have to apply them consistently for them to work their magic.

Balance Your Diet

Stop for a second and think of your brain like a car engine.

If you want the engine to run smoothly, you have to put the correct type of fuel into it. Without the right fuel, the engine can get damaged and even stop working completely.

Your brain is very similar.

In order to have an amazing memory, you first need to make sure that the tool you’re using to remember things (your brain) has all the nutrients it needs to function at the highest possible level.

A balanced diet is one of the best ways to ensure that your body has these nutrients which with to feed the brain.

Your diet needs to consist of three balanced meals per day, with each meal containing:

• A complex carbohydrate – These include whole grain foods like wholegrain cereal, brown rice and pasta. For a full list of complex carbs, check out this list from LiveStrong.
• Fruit or vegetables – This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but particularly good veggies to eat are asparagus, avocado (actually a fruit), broccoli, spinach and onions. Garlic is also excellent for brain power, as well as improving your skin.
• Protein – If you’re a meat-eater, then consider white meat like chicken or pork tenderloin, eggs and seafood. If you’re vegetarian, then go for beans, lentils and soy protein. Dairy products like cheese and yoghurt are also a great source of protein, but many stricter vegetarians don’t consume them.

Stimulate Your Mind

A great way to increase your memory power is to make sure that you give your brain some regular stimulation…

If you always do the same things, watch a lot of TV, or don’t challenge yourself to learn something new, your brain will not be stimulated. Instead, it will fall into a pattern of only functioning enough for you to do what you need to do.

Rather than letting that happen, why don’t you learn something new? Here are some ways to excercise your brain:

• Reading – Believe it or not, a great way to stimulate your mind is to read. The actual act of reading itself is great for the brain as it actively engages it in a number of useful ways, all of which can help improve your memory power. The best things to read (in my personal opinion) are books that teach you something, rather than a trashy book you might buy in an airport.
• Take a Class – My favourite way to exercise my brain is to exercise my body in some way at the same time. I go to salsa dance classes with my partner and the combination of meeting new people, learning a new skill and having to remember the moves makes for a great brain training experience. What do you want to learn? Go take a class and watch your brain flourish!
• Travel – You’ve probably heard the cliche ‘Travel broadens the mind’. The reason that phrase is so over-used is because it’s true! Travelling to new places, perhaps learning some of a new language or simply engaging with other people can help stimulate your mind to remember more.

Get Organised

Think about this as an idea…

It’s not how much you learn, it’s how you learn it.

Take your time on this and re-read that last line for a moment. Are you getting the power of it?

Let me put it like this:

Imagine your mind is a gigantic filing system, like an office full of filing cabinets, or a supercomputer. Now let’s imagine that you have tons of information to put into those filing cabinets for safe-keeping, so that you can use that information when necessary.

But there’s a major problem.

No one has systemised the filing cabinets, so you just start putting information into random cabinets because you’re busy and hey, as long as it’s in there, you’ll be able to find it again, right?

All I’ll say is good luck finding anything. You’re going to need it.

My point is that if you don’t organise the way you learn something, you cannot hope to recall it clearly down the line.

Whenever you have something to learn, ask yourself: ‘How will I need to recall this information later on?’ This will inform the way you learn it. Even just asking this question lets you see the information differently and help you to increase memory power more intelligently.

As a quick example, if you have a historic incident like the details of Operation Dragoon in the Second World War to remember, knowing the context of the operation may help you cement it into your mind by association.

You could learn that the Germans had taken over the entire north half of France prior to that operation due in part to the Allies not being well-enough equipped.

You could learn that the subsequent beach landings at Normandy had happened and been successful, which is why the idea of Dragoon had been revived, after initially being shelved by the Allied Forces.

There are plenty more contextual ideas you could insert here to remember it. Also, if you can see the human story around what you’re working on remembering, you immediately get a better connection with the subject matter. The facts are no longer just facts, they’re stories.

Whatever method of learning you choose, organise it and take the information in via short learning sessions. Then take a break, then go back to learning. Don’t try and cram it all in, you won’t remember much at all the next day.

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So, there you have it, 3 ways to increase memory power. As mentioned before, if you apply them consistently, you can reap the rewards as your memory power grows.

Leave a comment below and let me know if you have any questions or memory tips of your own.

Tags: diet, Featured, mnemonics

Category: Memory Power Tips